We partner with indigenous leaders who know how best to bring about long-term change into their communities. Each of these three leaders have been partnering with Equipe for at least ten years and over this time we have built up a relationship based on friendship, trust and integrity. The indigenous leadership are supported by UK nationals who have built up an extensive knowledge of Africa and how best to partner with its people.
Abbey Mugagga
Abbey and his wife Samalie live in Kampala, Uganda. They have partnered with Equipe since 2000 and have built a school and orphanage in a poor area in the North of the city. He administers the child sponsorship programme in Uganda. They have two of their own children but look after many others.
John and Sue Gasston
John and Sue have worked extensively in Uganda to help construct schools and other infrastructure. Originally they worked through their own charity called Marantha Gateway but this charity merged with Equipe in 2011. John and Sue spend a large part of their time in Uganda and are currently working to build a vocational college on the Sesse Islands to help develop the skills in this remote part of Uganda. When they are in the UK they live in Ross on Wye and have four grown up children and seven grandchildren. Sue is a Trustee of Equipe and is our “on the ground” representative in east Africa.
Deo Musoke
Deo Musoke is the director of the New Rock Foundation School in the Kabowa suburb of Kampala. He is married to Josephine and have 5 children of their own plus others who they are responsible for. He has been working with John & Sue Gasston since 2002 transforming his wooden shack for 90 pupils to a modern brick structure for 450 pupils by 2007. A feeding program has been in place since 2006 supported by New Life Church in Ross-on-Wye. There is also a child sponsorship scheme which seeks to help the poorest families.
Lawrence and Barbara Lweera
Lawrence is the Director of Bridge of Hope School in Kalangala which is described on our Uganda page. Through Equipe the school has been linked to St John’s Primary School in Sandbach, Cheshire, and Lawrence is in regular email contact with the UK school’s headteacher, Rob Whittle. Barbara teaches in the school and they live on the premises. They have six children of their own but consistently parent at least another six. As with most independent schools in Uganda Lawrence is the school’s Director and there is also a Headteacher – in this case Catherine Namagembe. In order to keep the school going Lawrence also works for the District Council managing the provision of bore wells.
Mike Norbury
Mike spent most of his working career in sales, latterly for a major Christian publishing company. In 2012 he visited Uganda for the first time and the following year traveled to join Sue and John Gasston in Kalangala where he has been involved in the development of the Maranatha Gateway Vocational Training Centre. He has also created links with other projects in Uganda and has visited Kenya and Tanzania. Mike is widowed and lives in Wrexham, North Wales. He has five sons and four grandchildren. Now based back in the UK he is Equipe’s “ambassador” to the UK and is involved in marketing the organisation. He particularly enjoys visiting schools to help children understand what it’s like to grow up and go to school in East Africa.